My son struggled with team sports. He was frequently last to be chosen, or he tried to opt out when faced with opportunities to take part in sports activities. As a parent I thought that sports were important for his growth, so I did some research on the subject. According to the University of San Diego’s Professional and Continuing Education website, Sports “can positively impact physical health, mental and emotional health, academic performance, and social skills. (Sandiego.edu) The site explains these benefits and includes the surprising information that student athletes may see as much as 7% – 8% higher annual earnings as adults. This encouraged me to find an opportunity for my son to take part in some kind of sports/exercise activity.
And then I found out about Martial Arts! Martial Arts have the obvious benefits of fitness, enhanced motor skills, and self-defense. These skills lead to self-confidence and greater physical health. I didn’t realize that Martial Arts have more impact on emotional health and academic performance than many team sports.
Emotional health involves more than self-confidence. Most sports offer the benefit of improved social skills through interaction with others. Martial Arts also encourage creativity and improved cognitive performance through individual expression. The non-competitive aspect of Martial Arts allows students to develop at their own speed and helps to facilitate interpersonal communication as participants work with each other and instructors to achieve their personal best. This goal of personal best resonated with my son who needed lessons in how to be successful in a world where he often felt out of place.
Martial Arts classes also impact academic performance. I learned that the routine based and highly structured format of Martial Arts classes actually helps students learn better mental focus through kinesthetic teaching. My son’s teacher told me kinesthetic teaching is extremely successful for students who learn best by doing, using hands on techniques and repetition to reinforce skills. She said she tries to use this in her classes, but in a world where kids are confined to desks and choose to stare at screens it can be hard to incorporate. Martial Arts is an example where learning to control muscle tension and body movement leads to better physical and emotional control, focus, in a classroom setting.
Although entering a new classroom in a situation where he had no feeling of familiarity was difficult, we contacted our local Martial Arts school. It turned out that they had class opportunities that would work for us. After a few weeks I noticed a marked improvement in my son’s feeling of confidence. His new goal in life, to achieve earning a black belt, was not only inspiring for him, but was also recognized as an amazing and socially recognized goal by both peers and adults in his life. His Martial Arts participation is not only a great fit for the physical and emotional benefits found through sports. It has turned into his lifetime goal to achieve his personal best.